


Rubadubdub! Dave: Get Sad In The Tub

by Seltzer_In_Shadow



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Dysphoria, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Trans Dave Strider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22839625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seltzer_In_Shadow/pseuds/Seltzer_In_Shadow
Summary: Dave's had a long day, Karkat helps as best he can.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas
Comments: 3
Kudos: 85





	Rubadubdub! Dave: Get Sad In The Tub

It’s dark when he locks his phone and puts it to the side of the tub next to his shades. 

How long has he been in here anyway?

He’s been refilling the water periodically, letting it run until it just gives out and turns cold. When did he last run it? Should he try again?

In the dark he can see his figure. Hips he hates, and small but ever present breasts sitting flatly on his chest. He feels the weight of them, soggy and wet. His exposed skin itching as it dries. 

It all feels too much right now. His hands run through blonde hair that he loves more than any other part of himself. The only part he feels confident in. His face looks best behind frames, squaring his jaw, hiding the soft of his eyes. If he smiles too wide that's bad too, only taut grins and expressions. 

How many times did it happen today? What was the reason this time? His painted nails? His customer service tone? 

All of it, all of him. 

He's crying when Karkat comes home. 

He hears the door shut and his boyfriend call from the entrance, mixed with the sounds of a jacket coming undone and shoes being kicked off. He doesn't respond yet. 

"Dave?"

Karkat goes into the bedroom and when he sees the pile of clothes on the floor he heads to the bathroom door.

Warm air meets him and his red eyes see Dave easily through the dark. 

"Hey." His voice is soft, asking for permission. 

"Hey." Dave replies, his voice is forced flat but Karkat can tell he's not angry. 

"Can I come in? Or do you need some time?"

"Do whatever." He hoped Karkat would stay but can't ask for that right now. He's always asking too much, it's always the same shit and he's not his therapist. 

Karkat sits facing away from Dave, back against the tub, legs splayed out in front of him. 

He hears Dave lift his hand and droplets fall from wrinkled fingers onto the trolls head. They slip through his hair repeatedly, softly, and absent mindedly.

"Dave?"

"Hm?"

“I’m here if you want to talk, but you know you don't have to. Is there anything you need right now?" 

God yes. But it's dumb, and chaotic, and too much to ask. Why the hell does he want something so ridiculous?

The silence sets in as Karkat waits for an answer. 

He's used to this now. He wasn't at first. Dave always seemed so cocky. So fucking annoyingly confident that when the wall began to come down Karkat didn't know how to help. He tried compliments, reassurance. That felt like the natural thing to do at first because he honestly believed them. 

How could Dave not look at himself and see how overwhelmingly sexy he was?! How could that confidence he wore around like some sort of confidence god cape really just be an act? He just hadn't imagined how insecure Dave really could be. How because of that, as they got close, as their feelings jams got heavier, and as their intimacy turned... flush, the compliments, the praise, the real fucking heartfelt romcom mush the troll had been wanting to tell Dave ever since they first really started to get to know each other, all those words were tossed aside. And Karkat had felt powerless. Like no matter how much he loved Dave fucking Strider he could never get him to see why. It started to frustrate him. He loved Dave and needed to know what to do but Dave didn't even know what he wanted, so for a bit, things were tough.

He had gone to Kanaya and Rose for insight. None of his romcoms had prepared him for this, but part of him always knew they couldn’t when it came down to it. So he found new ways. New ways to ask, to check-in. Most of them meant just sitting and being there, and since he’d started doing that, things had gotten better. 

"Could you... come in.. here?" 

Karkat turned and reached his hand out. Dave took it. 

"Trying to get me soaking wet for you Strider? I think that can be arranged." Karkat smiled and Dave could hear it in the dark. It gave him a spark.

He watched the shadow of his boyfriend pull his sweatshirt and shirt off altogether and toss them aside. Karkat knew Dave wasn't actually in a sexy mood so he tried to make it quick. His pants quickly were kicked off next and his hands went for his boxers before deciding to keep them on. 

Dave scoffed 

"Oh check out Mr. Nevernude Vantas over here."

"Shut the fuck up Strider, I'm surprised you're glasses are just next to the tub right now. Besides, if I stripped down you wouldn't be able to resist yourself. I'm doing you a favor." 

"I know." Dave's voice was soft again and Karkat took that as his cue to slip into the water next to him. It was lukewarm at best, and god this tub was definitely human-sized. All those thoughts left the troll’s mind though as Dave gathered himself between his arms and laid his head on his boyfriend's smooth chest. 

"Thank you." 

Karkat kissed the top of the blonde's head and breathed in the smell of him, salt and apple and cedar.

"Anytime."

His chest began to rumble soft calming purrs. 

Dave closed his eyes and breathed out a long sigh, relaxing finally into strong arms and sweet sounds. 

A few minutes passed like this until Dave raised his head to look up at Karkat who, feeling the shift, opened his eyes and smiled.

"Wanna take this to the sofa? For pizza and a movie?" Dave's eyebrows wiggled across a much more confident face. Dave Strider was fully recharged and very hungry. 

"Definitely, maybe?"

"So... is that no thanks, let’s stay in the tub until we’re old and wrinkled. Like from the water and from the fact that we’re both like really fucking old?"

"What? No dumbass! It's a masterpiece and we're watching it so get your ass off of me and get moving."

"Ha. Make me." 

Suddenly arms wrapped around Dave's knees and back and with a surprisingly swift scoop, and power squat combo Karkat did exactly that. 

"Romcom time Strider. Let's move." 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @fay_the_gay for betaing!  
> Forgive me for not titling it "My Dysphoria is More Abrasive Than Any Loofa" You are a title genius but I am a coward. 
> 
> This is my first HS fic, so you know I just had to make it sadporn


End file.
